Revelation’s Two Great Feasts | Crossway Articles

The Conquering Lamb and King

Revelation 19 incorporates a really vivid image of each the wedding supper of the Lamb and the “feast” of those that are judged by Christ. As we are able to see in lots of passages of Revelation, Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Lamb, however he’s additionally the conquering King and the everlasting Decide. His coming will imply salvation for some and horrible judgment for many who haven’t accepted his rule over their lives and hearts. Passages like this one are usually not simple, but they remind us of the seriousness of the necessity for folks to just accept Jesus now.

This passage in Revelation offers us a really completely different image of Jesus than we’re used to seeing. This Jesus is identical Savior that we study all through Scripture, however he’s additionally the fantastic, holy, and highly effective Decide of those that reject him. Now we have a lot to be taught from this passage and the 2 “meals” that it describes.

Meal #1—The wedding supper.

Then I heard what gave the impression to be the voice of an excellent multitude, just like the roar of many waters and just like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
      the Almighty reigns.
Allow us to rejoice and exult
      and provides him the glory,
for the wedding of the Lamb has come,
      and his Bride has made herself prepared;
it was granted her to dress herself
      with effective linen, brilliant and pure”—

for the effective linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel stated to me, “Write this: Blessed are those that are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” And he stated to me, “These are the true phrases of God.”
—Revelation 19:6–9

The primary meal that’s described, in Revelation 19:6–9, ought to be very encouraging to believers in Jesus Christ. Once more, as he has completed earlier than, John places earlier than us the multitude of people that have confessed Jesus as Savior and now collect in reward to him. These folks have been invited to the good “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). This picture—a wedding supper—has appeared in a number of locations within the Bible story. It’s all the time a fantastic and climactic feast—one which an individual doesn’t wish to miss. Jesus makes use of this imagery a number of occasions when he teaches concerning the ultimate gathering of God’s folks.

We must always notice that those that attend this marriage supper are wearing “effective linen,” which, John explains, is the “righteous deeds of the saints” (Rev. 19:8). These good deeds are, after all, presents from Jesus Christ; nobody can earn saving favor with God by his or her personal energy. But it’s true that the suitable clothes for this meal is righteousness; nobody will get in with out the suitable outfit!

Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Lamb, however he’s additionally the conquering King and the everlasting Decide.

Meal #2—The feast for the birds.

Then I noticed an angel standing within the solar, and with a loud voice he known as to all of the birds that fly instantly overhead, “Come, collect for the good supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty males, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all males, each free and slave, each small and nice.” And I noticed the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make conflict towards him who was sitting on the horse and towards his military. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had completed the indicators by which he deceived those that had acquired the mark of the beast and people who worshiped its picture. These two had been thrown alive into the lake of fireside that burns with sulfur. And the remaining had been slain by the sword that got here from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all of the birds had been gorged with their flesh.
—Revelation 19:17–21

The second meal is a bit grotesque— and it’s meant to be! The image that concludes this chapter is meant to wake us as much as the terrible actuality of sin and the horrible judgment that it brings. Because the passage ends, an angel calls out to the birds overhead to collect for the “nice supper of God” (Rev. 19:17), which comes as he judges sinners who’ve rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior. The outline of those folks covers everybody—from kings all the way down to abnormal folks—who has refused the rule of Jesus. The 2 beasts are defeated and devoured as effectively. All in all, there isn’t any actual battle—the enemies of God are merely destroyed, and the birds that collect overhead devour their flesh (Rev. 19:21).

Jesus—Savior and Decide

As we close to the tip of the Bible story, we must always take critically the image of Jesus that John offers to us in Revelation 19:7–10. That is, after all, the identical humble Savior who got here as a human child and laid down his life on a cross for sinners. However when he returns, he’ll include highly effective judgment. He’ll trip in with would possibly and authority—and can trample God’s enemies with the fury of his righteous anger towards sin. Once we image Jesus, we should see him like this in addition to our humble Savior; he’s each Savior and Decide! On the ultimate day of the world, everybody will both be secure in Jesus and invited to his supper or will face the wrath and judgment of the really righteous King.

This text is customized from Tracing God’s Story: An Introduction to Biblical Theology by Jon Nielson.

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